A piece of plywood used to cover a gaping hole on the rotten lining (floor) of a preparatory school bus has claimed the life of a six-year-old pupil, after she dropped to the ground through the opening while the bus was in motion last Friday.
It was a freaky accident and it put the proprietor of the Resurrection Preparatory School on the spot when it occurred in the Chantan suburb of Accra.
Six-year-old Abigail Djanwaa, the kindergarten pupil, was in the company of her colleagues on the bus en route to school when the accident occurred.
According to an eyewitness account, the rotten piece of plywood on vehicle number GR 70G gave way as the little girl stepped on it when she tried collecting a piece of paper from her sister who sat at a little distance from her.
She was run over by the moving vehicle as the driver was unaware of what had happened. Many residents in the suburb were not surprised to learn about the accident, given the rickety state of the vehicle.
According to the eyewitness, the lining of the vehicle had decayed so badly that the mid-section had to be covered with a piece of plywood. Confirming the story, Kojo Wiafe, father of the deceased, stated that on November 12, 2010, the bus came to pick the children around 7am.
He said his ten-year-old daughter who was also on board noted that as the bus headed towards the school, the deceased stood up from her seat for a piece of paper.
“As she tried walking through the aisle, she stepped on one of the ply woods which had been used to cover one of the holes. The plywood got broken and the child dropped through it to the ground,” he said.
“She was rushed to the Achimota hospital but she died on arrival,” the devastated father stated.
He said a report was lodged with the Tesano Police Station.
The Tesano Divisional Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Kyereme, confirmed the story.
According to ASP Kyereme, an initial report indicated that the deceased fell from the window of the bus but police investigations revealed that she was trapped under the vehicle as she stepped on the decayed plywood used to cover the holes within it.
He noted that a test had been carried on the bus and arrangements were ongoing to forward the docket to the Attorney General’s office for advice.
Information reaching Daily Guide suggests that the headmaster of the school, Boakye Yiadom, has accepted responsibility to bury the deceased. He has also expressed his willingness to offer a fee-free education to JHS level for the siblings of the deceased in the school.
